Paediatric chronic fatigue syndrome: Complex presentations and protracted time to diagnosis

Abstract

Aim The diagnosis and management of paediatric chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) remain ongoing challenges for paediatric clinicians, particularly given its unknown aetiology and the little research on effective treatments for this condition. The aim of this study was to describe the presenting features of new patients attending a specialist chronic fatigue clinic at a tertiary-level Australian children's hospital. Method The medical records of all patients with an initial consultation at the chronic fatigue clinic over a 12-month period were reviewed using a standardised data collection template. Functional impact was based on school attendance and classified according to the National Institut..